FY 2026 National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) Training and Technical Assistance
🏛 Bureau of Justice Statistics
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Sep 4, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for state, territorial, and tribal criminal justice agencies to improve criminal history records systems. Eligible recipients include state governments, territories, and tribal nations with criminal history record systems that need technical assistance. Applicants must be able to work with FBI standards for records management and information sharing. This is a cooperative agreement providing direct technical assistance and training.
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Program description
This program will continue to support activities under the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP), and portions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (Pub. L. 117-159) in fiscal year (FY) 2024. Direct technical assistance is provided to states, territories, and tribal jurisdictions to ensure that records systems are developed and managed to conform to FBI standards, ensure jurisdictions are using the most appropriate technologies, and adhere to the highest standards of practice with respect to privacy and confidentiality. This program also routinely collects and evaluates performance measures to assess the level of improvement of state and national records holdings, as well as information sharing and exchanges. BJS has supported the NCHIP TTA program since 1995. This program furthers the DOJ’s mission to reduce violent crime and address gun violence by improving the accuracy, utility, and interstate accessibility of criminal-history and related records in support of national record systems and their use for name- and fingerprint-based criminal history background checks.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Statement of Need
- Implementation Plan
- Performance Measurement Framework
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Organizational Capacity Documentation
- Letters of Support from Partner Agencies
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Justice Statistics
- 📧 AskBJS@usdoj.gov
- 📞 0000000000
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 16.554 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$10,000,000
-
$7,500,000
-
$6,728,300
-
$6,012,113
-
$5,926,392
-
$5,865,176
-
$5,792,877
-
$4,685,176
-
$4,626,714
-
$4,456,510
Top States by Funding
- MI 5 awards $21.8M
- VA 7 awards $21.5M
- CA 6 awards $21.0M
- NE 6 awards $20.7M
- CT 7 awards $19.2M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.554). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $84,718,918 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this NCHIP TTA grant?
State, territorial, and tribal criminal justice agencies responsible for criminal history records systems. Local governments and nonprofits are typically not eligible.
What is the deadline for FY 2026?
The deadline is September 28, 2026. Early submission is recommended.
What kind of technical assistance is provided?
BJS provides direct assistance to align records systems with FBI standards. Assistance covers technology selection, privacy compliance, and performance measurement.
Is this competitive or guaranteed?
This is competitive. Not all applicants receive funding despite the $1.5M pool being substantial.
What is the typical award amount?
Award amounts vary based on project scope and jurisdiction size. Specific amounts are determined during the review process.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Clearly demonstrate your jurisdiction's criminal history records challenges and gaps in current systems.
- Reference FBI standards and NICS Act requirements explicitly in your proposal narrative.
- Detail your data collection and performance measurement capabilities for tracking improvement.
- Coordinate with your state and tribal partners on inter-agency record sharing infrastructure before applying.
- Request technical assistance based on the specific technologies and compliance areas your jurisdiction needs.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants fail to connect their records improvement goals to FBI standards and national background check requirements. Many proposals lack detailed performance metrics or realistic timelines for systems modernization. Weak inter-agency coordination plans reduce competitiveness.
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